Rating: 
Summary: aarg. well written but annoying at the end
Review: this is a real page-turner. there's a lot going on in terms of scientific details and our misanthropic, cruel smilla's cold, cold little heart.as someone with a scientific background i found many of these details kind of pretentious, and didn't really help the story along- but they do fit with smilla's personality, so they're forgivable. hoeg is a frustrating writer- similarly "tales of the night" had great promise but lacked... something. here i can nail it down- the novel self-destructs in the last few chapters, using exposition by characters rather than letting the story tell itself. yes, it's nice to find out what's ultimately going on, but to have it spoon-fed to us after a fair bit of intrigue and suspense feels just lazy.
Rating: 
Summary: At a loss
Review: There something about this book that I do not understand myself, it is undoubtedly a magnificent novel but the end is truly a mystery. I wonder if it is a terrible mistake on the part of the Storyteller or a deliberate move by the Author. I think I would choose the latter ...
Rating:
Summary: A Deep and thoughtful book
Review: From the beginning till the end, Peter Hoeg takes you on ajourney where you will get glimpses and ideas of the ending during theway. A very flowing book with a protagonist that goes throughpersonal suffering of both herself and the people she knows. Smilla sacrifices everything to bring justice to a friend who she believed was forced to jump off a roof. An enjoyable novel for anyone who likes the work of Peter Hoeg or is interested in a story with more depth.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable characters and settings
Review: I am baffled by the bad reviews that this book has received. In my opinion, this is one of the most memorable books I have ever read. Along with the characters from "Lonesome Dove", Smila is unforgettable. She is a real, complex, courageous person. The descriptions of Greenland were astonishing. The author's style was hypnotic and I am very grateful that I got to read this marvelous story!
Rating: 
Summary: A slalom to nowhere
Review: It's amazing, or shocking I suppose, that this book could be compared to the works of Melville and Conrad. It begins well enough, and the first section, the City, is fine; but the next two are extremely disappointing. My greatest problem with the book, though, are the author's pretensions to greatness. Each time Smilla finds herself in a new situation, she first recounts a "poignant" parable/incident from her past that oh-so-perfectly casts a philosophical light on the new situation. Hoeg also has the habit of ending every third or fourth paragraph with a "deep thought"; at the beginning it works, but about 150 pages in, Smilla's character is sublimated beneath an avalanche of "deep thoughts". One cannot help but notice that she is not a convincing character; rather, she is a vessel for the author's pretentious musings, a block of ice to be sculpted into the image of Hoeg, the Thinker, a Writer to Be Admired. The pretentiousness is even more apparent in the ineffective and pointless occasions when events are rendered non-chronologically. Do not read this book; it only barely edifies and does not entertain.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't get it
Review: What's all the fuss all about? This is one of the most boring books I ever couldn't finish. The only thing going for it is a catchy title.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fresh and Original
Review: I loved this book. Hoeg's style to write is very self-conscious and well-thought: at very regular intervals he attaches a line: a wisdom with which the reader can (must!) agree. There is something for everyone: the writer refers to everyday phenomena and expresses opinions that the reader fells familiar. The book is very down-to-earth and mystical at the same time: that is an honourable achievement. For a northern reader this book gives a cosy feeling. There lives a little Smilla in every northern person! I can understand it very well, how Smilla knows snow. Peter Hoeg also says some truths about communication in northern areas: silence means something different in sparsely populated areas, such as Greenland or Finland. Silence is not something unbearable, rather, it has to be interpreted in the right way, too, just the same way as words. Also, an easy book to film! (I have not seen the film, though.)
Rating:
Summary: Compelling but dark Arctic mystery...
Review: I loved this book. It was very convuluted, very dark, but the characterization and the setting were great. It does take a lot of energy and committment to read it; perhaps this is tantamount to the bad reviews posted here. I couldn't put it down. Give it a shot. You'll learn something about Greenland.
Rating:
Summary: This novel is beautiful and deep both in form and content.
Review: Reading this novel was enlightening experience. Smilla's effort to discover the truth about a crime leads her to rediscovering herself. Hoeg creates a new genre - the philosophic detective story with elements of suspense and lyrical self-reflection. What struck me was the Smilla's knowledge of the world. She has such a strong character that it may enchant anybody who, like her, is seeking for adventure and solution of final riddles.
Rating:
Summary: Great!!!
Review: The story told by Peter Hoeg is really good: Smilla is a strong woman, who fights for the things she believes in. The mechanic is a good figure in the back to support her. I loved reading the book, because it has so many surprising turns. Books by Hoeg are usually very confusing (like 'The history of Danish dreams'), but Smilla keeps your attention focesed on one thing: her. So......excellent book
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